Breakthough Prayer

Take today’s next step: So many people think they cannot be forgiven. Become a mentor and you can bring them hope. 

“But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them.” (Nehemiah 9:17b)

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem from exile and oversaw the restoration of the temple and the repairs to the city walls. Upon their completion, Ezra, the priest, read the Book of the Law of Moses to the people. They celebrated with a feast and built booths to live in for seven days.

In response to the words Ezra had read, later that month the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth to show repentance for their sins. In the vast worship celebration that followed, the Levites praised God for His tremendous mercy throughout their history: “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon [our forefathers] in the desert.” (Nehemiah 9:19a)

Over and over, Israel rebelled against God. As a result, the Lord handed them over to their enemies. Yet, every time they cried out to Him, their God responded with compassion. Following are some examples of God’s wonderful loving-kindness toward His people:

“But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.” (Nehemiah 9:27b)

“And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.” (Nehemiah 9:28b)

“For many years you were patient with them.” (Nehemiah 9:30a)

“But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” (Nehemiah 9:31)

If you feel like you have rebelled and sinned against God too often to be forgiven, read the ninth chapter of Nehemiah. Discover anew the great compassion of our God. For just as in the olden days of Israel, when we confess our sins and repent, God forgives and pours out His compassion upon us.

Merciful and compassionate God, thank you for Your faithfulness! Forgive my rebellion. Restore me and teach me to walk in Your ways. I ask these things in the precious and holy name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, Amen.

Questions: Do you trust in God’s compassion? Do you have a story to share of God’s great mercy toward you?

 Take today’s next step: Learn to recognize the voice of God
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7)

“Papa, I can hear God’s voice in the wind.” That statement came from my 6-year-old grandson. We were on a walk crossing the grassy hills leading down to the beach on the Washington coast. The path was not clear, and we had to zigzag along to avoid watery patches. It was really windy when my grandson said, “Papa I can hear God’s voice in the wind…and he says he will help us find our way.”  What wonderful thoughts innocently offered by a child!

First, that we can hear God’s voice in his creation. Romans 1:20 says, “ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” God can be seen and understood through the wonder and beauty of His creation, whether through the rushing wind, the rolling waves or the rustling grasses.

Second, that God will help us find our way. For my grandson, wandering through the tall grass and small sand dunes on a windy day was causing some level of distress. Somehow in his grasp of the situation, he was not so confident in his papa’s sense of direction, but knew that God somehow had us in His sight. It is a comforting thought to know this. Luke 12:6-7 reminds us that God indeed looks after us. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

As you walk through this day, listen for God’s voice and be confident that He knows where you are right now and can show you the way! We just have to listen and be willing to follow where He leads!

God, Thank you for Your promise that I am worth much more than a sparrow. You see me and You are guiding me. Thank you for Your presence, for Your strength and for Your peace. Keep me close to You so I am not tempted to run ahead of Your plans. Amen

Question: How do you seek God in times of confusion?

Take today’s next step: Be an encourager – become a mentor.  

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)

When we are followers of Jesus darkness should not characterize our lives. Oh, it will come to try to darken the doorway of our hearts but we can choose our response.

In one of the daily readings in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young she explains what happened when Eve turned her attention away from all the blessings she had, to focus on what she didn’t have. “That negative focus darkened her mind and she succumbed to temptation.”

She left thankfulness behind! Thankfulness is so much more than “having an attitude of gratitude”! It is a protection from darkness. It is a discipline. It’s actually a weapon in our spiritual warfare arsenal.

When you sense the shadow of darkness at the door of your heart by discouragement or dissatisfaction (two of the biggest things that try to rob us of the Light of Jesus within us) stop and send thanksgiving to the door.

Jesus says that when we follow Him we will not walk in darkness.

Where are the shadows lurking that want to darken the door of your heart and mind and draw you away from the Light? Send Jesus to the door and rise up with thanksgiving in your heart. It’s a discipline. It’s a sacrifice. It’s a weapon. Use it today!

Lord God,

I thank You that darkness need not cast it’s shadow over my heart and mind today. Thank you that You are the Light of my life. Thank you that You lead me and guide me and strengthen me when I fix my eyes on all the wonder of who You are. Grant me the insight and the wisdom to lift my voice in thanksgiving today for You are my God and I am Your child. Whenever darkness seeks to encroach upon me may it be my call to lift my heart to You in praise. In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.

Questions: What does “sending Jesus to the door” look like? What practices and habits do you have to keep darkness from characterizing your life?

Take today’s next step: Learn more grace. Take this lesson on freedom.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9, NLT)

Do you have difficulty releasing guilt? Do you find it hard to forgive yourself for past mistakes? Do you feel a deep-seated need to punish yourself for wrongs that you have committed?

I don’t know about you, but I definitely struggle in the area of self-forgiveness. I look back at the regrets of my past and just can’t seem to let them go. Thoughts such as these keep running through my head: If only I would have listened. If only I had made a different choice. How could I have been so stupid?

Mistakes I have made become evident to me, and I mentally beat myself up over them; my self-talk is then relentless and harsh: What kind of an idiot are you? What were you thinking? Did you think at all? You are so impulsive! Why can’t you have more self-control? You don’t deserve to be forgiven!

I long for the guilt and sorrow to go away, but it never quite does. There is something that whispers deep within me, “You need to pay the price for what you have done.”

From the time of man’s Fall in the Garden of Eden, this has been humanity’s solution to the sin problem: work and strive to pay off the debt for our wrongs. Yet, who can ever repay such an insurmountable debt?  How can one say it is ever enough?

Listen to what God’s word says about our innate need to pay for our sin: “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.” (Isaiah 64:6, NLT; emphasis mine)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23, NLT; emphasis mine)

But God stepped in . . .

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9, NLT; emphasis mine)

In our heart-of-hearts, this free gift seems too good to be true. How can our sin be so simply forgiven?

That’s the kicker; it wasn’t simple or easy! A monumental price was paid for our sin: Christ’s agonizing torture and death on the cross, followed by His powerful resurrection from the dead. This amazing gift of salvation is free for the taking, and it is available to all of us.

A long time ago, I took God up on His offer of free grace. Yet, I still find myself struggling with the need to pay penance for my sin. I fight to let go of the guilt and battle to forgive myself for what I’ve done.

However, I’ve come to realize that, in clinging to my guilt and punishing myself, I am once again falling into the age-old trap used by humanity to solve the sin-problem. Furthermore, I am failing to receive and embrace the Lord’s amazing grace for me and all mankind.

When Christ died on the cross, it was finished! Everyone’s sin in the world, including my own, was totally paid in full, and there is nothing that I, or anybody else, can ever do to make it more complete; it is done, and it has been done perfectly!

The sobering fact is that, when I refuse to forgive myself and try to pay the penalty for my sin, I’m actually declaring that what Christ did on the cross was not enough for my sin. I’m saying that He needs my help to pay the debt. In other words, my sin is too big, too great for His death to cover.

“Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:10-12)

Today, O Lord, I relinquish not only my sin, but the guilt I have been carrying, as well. I know that Your death on the cross covers it all, and I refuse to hold onto condemnation any longer. Teach me to live and walk in Your grace. I ask these things in Your mighty name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

Questions: Are you holding onto feelings of regret and guilt for past mistakes? Does understanding that Jesus fully paid the price for your sins help you to release them and walk in freedom from condemnation?

Music is an instrumental (no pun intended) part of our society today but we as believers often overlook its importance of it in our life in Christ Jesus.

King David was gifted with the talent of music. Undoubtedly, God enjoyed the music that David and others wrote and played for their songs are a part of the book of the bible called Psalms. God even had men assigned as musicians as we see in 1 Chronicles 6:31-32 (ESV): “These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order.”

Music was not just a part of the Old Testament either. Following the last supper, Jesus and all the disciples come together and sang: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Matthew 26:30 (ESV)

Music can be a powerful act of worship and reverence to God when it sings of His living Word and Truth. Music is a tool in which to help us keep our mind and thoughts on our Lord.

Sadly, it can be hard for us to keep our mind on God throughout the day. Unless something triggers us to think of Him, we tend to go through our day without paying Him attention, let alone praising and worshiping Him and worshiping Him. Let us use music to remind us of His great truth and not neglect our God.

God, forgive me for not focusing on praising you as much as I should. I want to honor you with the music that I listen to. Help me to integrate worship into my life more. My desire is to praise you in truth and spirit.

Question: Is music that glorifies God a part of your daily routine?

Live a full, abundant, purposeful and fruitful life in Christ!

Take today’s next step: Learn how to pray the promises of God. 

“And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” (Genesis 21:1-2, NKJV)

God is always faithful to His promises. His word is absolute truth. We can be assured that God will not see His word return void when He sends it out to achieve important purposes in our lives.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Have you given up hope in a promise that God has made to you because you have not yet seen its fulfillment? Abraham waited over thirteen years from the time the LORD his God first promised him that he would have a son to his wife Sarah until the birth of that son, Isaac. Most would not believe this was possible for them in their advanced age; in truth, both Sarah and her husband laughed when God told Abraham that He would later return to them and Sarah would bear them a son.

However, the LORD God does not lie, nor can He do so; for it is not in His character to be dishonest. Almighty God not only tells the truth, He is the truth: “If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13, Amplified Bible)

Again, this is revealed to be so in John 3:33: “Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal of approval to this: God is true. [That man has definitely certified, acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured that it is divine truth that God cannot lie].” (Amplified Bible)

We can always count on God’s word to be completely pure and trustworthy, no matter how long it may take to see His promises fulfilled in our lives. What is most important for us to realize is that the timing of the LORD never fails to be perfect. In addition, because He is omniscient and can see infinitely far into the future – and we, obviously, cannot – we are wise to place our trust in Him, knowing that His ability to judge what is best for us is so much better than our own.

The LORD our God will never let us down. Yet, sometimes we ask for things that are not in our best interests; or, we make a request that, if it were to be granted at that specific time, would be hurtful to us or to someone else. So the LORD, in His infinite love and wisdom, says, “No,” or He tells us we must wait. Unfortunately, when we do not trust in Him, we can interpret this response, this failure to meet our desire for immediate gratification, as a sign that God does not care for us. In our disappointment, we falsely believe that Jesus does not love us, or that He has abandoned us.

However, if we are willing to align our faith with the Bible instead of running with our emotions and impatiently demanding to have our own way, we will soon become grounded in the truth of the Father’s faithful love in Christ Jesus and His devotion to never leave us or forsake us.

Let’s listen with all our hearts to the following verses and drink deeply of our Father’s tender loving-care for us:

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands.” (Isaiah 49:15-16, Amplified Bible)

“‘For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed,’ says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10, Amplified Bible)

And, lastly,

“He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5, Amplified Bible)

May we respond with gratitude, hope, and deep-seated faith to these promises from our merciful and gracious God, declaring in agreement with Hebrews 13:6, “So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, ‘The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?’” (Amplified Bible)

Lord Jesus, we come before You, asking that You grant us confidence and immovable hope in the promises You give us in Your word of truth. May we be assured that You never can and never will lie to us, and that You desire only the best for us, O God. When we do see painful things happen in and around us, O LORD, may we have the bold faith to state with assurance the words given to the apostle Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We thank You, Lord Jesus, that we have been called according to Your good purpose, and we declare our love for You, even as we thank You for Your amazing love for us. We pray these things in Your holy name, Christ Jesus, amen.

Questions: Do you have difficulty believing that God will fulfill His promises in your life? Why or why not? Which of His promises have you seen God faithfully bring to fruition? What biblical promises are you claiming for yourself or a loved one at this time?

“Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” Luke 22:60-62

My curiosity got the better of me as I rode the back country roads in Germany through small towns and villages. Why was there a rooster rather than a cross adorning the steeples? Getting an answer that was more than a guess initially proved to be difficult, but finally someone explained it to me.

Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” Later, Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, nervously, watching the Roman soldiers who stood nearby.

Then a voice said, “Weren’t you with Jesus of Nazareth.” Peter said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about” and hurried off toward the porch. As he strolled toward the porch the rooster crowed. After awhile the same little maid saw him again and said to the soldiers nearby, “This is one of them.” Again Peter strongly denied the claim of the maiden. Then, after awhile the soldiers approached him and said that he was surely a follower of Jesus because his speech proved him to be.

This time Peter cursed and said, “I know not this man of whom you speak.” At that moment a rooster in the yard crowed again! The sound of the rooster came shrill and loud, leaving a shudder running down Peter’s back. Then Peter called to mind the words of Jesus which stated clearly that he would deny Jesus three times before the cock would crow the second time. Peter couldn’t put this out of mind. The more he thought on the words of the Lord the more disappointed in himself he became until the big fisherman had to hold his face in hand and break into sobbing.

How the Lord must have loved Peter, looking beyond his cursing and denials, giving Peter a sign of repentance when He would be taken away from him and unable to forgive him personally. The shrill sound of the rooster’s call worked upon the conscience of Peter as much as the Savior’s voice would have. The call of the rooster had become an extension of the voice of the forgiving Christ.

For this reason, the rooster has become a symbol of an aroused conscience and a reminder of a forgiving God. Peter was a symbol of personal failure who asked Jesus for forgiveness and through redemption rose to greatness. The rooster is a reminder that we live in a fallen world and the humanity in each of us fails God, but God can forgive, redeem and renew. The greatest impediment for living a glorious future for most people is a guilt ridden re-living of our past, but through Christ the past can be washed away and all things can become new.

Don’t let your past deprive you of God’s plan for your future. Listen to the roosters in your life. Think of the great Apostle Peter and what his life might have been without the proud strutting rooster who spoke for Jesus in His absence.

Question: When are you most tempted to sin by denying knowing the Lord, and why?

We all have a story that God can use. Learn how to share yours.

Take today’s next step: Do you have 30 min a week to help? Become a mentor. 

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”  (John 10:9)

A few weeks ago I was annoyed to wake up sick with a nasty head cold.  I wanted nothing more than to curl up under some warm blankets, drink chicken noodle soup, and heal up away from the cares of the world.  I’m a busy stay-at-home mom of three young children with one of them still in diapers. That just wasn’t going to happen.

The truth is, our lives are not usually easy.  Maybe you are a teacher whose students are depending on you, or a daughter who cares for her elderly parent. Maybe you are a mother of little ones, like me.  Even though it is usually not an option to wish away the cares of the world when you are not on top of your game, we do have a lovely promise from Jesus in these times.  He invites us in so He can care for us, allows us to graze on His words of life, nourishes us, and sends us back out into the world, so we can make His world a better place.

What might this mean for you today?  When I had this annoying but truly minor cold, I laid down my own ideas for the day, and took everything to the Lord in prayer. I realized that He would care for me even though I still had work to do.  I never did find the peace and quiet to indulge in my nineteenth century, chick-lit cozy world, but my children were happy to stay at home and rest.

We were able to cuddle and read cute kid’s books. I drank chicken noodle soup, got some really good conversation in, and found true nourishment from those things.  Jesus has promised that if you stay close to His word, you will find pasture, or good food, from Him, as well as freedom to engage with your world, using the gifts you have.

Whatever your story, let God be the door of life to you.  As you plan your next move, consider what strengths you bring to our world today, and allow God to direct you in using them.  As we are reminded in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Since you are working for Him, don’t forget to accept His nourishment also.

God, You see what today holds for me. Help to walk out into it in the peace that comes from knowing that You have me in the palm of Your hand. Thank you for Your nourishment, Your wisdom, and Your grace. In Your name I pray, Amen

Question: How does God feed you in your times of need?

Take today’s next step: Do you have 30 min a week to help? Become a mentor. 

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”  (John 10:9)

A few weeks ago I was annoyed to wake up sick with a nasty head cold.  I wanted nothing more than to curl up under some warm blankets, drink chicken noodle soup, and heal up away from the cares of the world.  I’m a busy stay-at-home mom of three young children with one of them still in diapers. That just wasn’t going to happen.

The truth is, our lives are not usually easy.  Maybe you are a teacher whose students are depending on you, or a daughter who cares for her elderly parent. Maybe you are a mother of little ones, like me.  Even though it is usually not an option to wish away the cares of the world when you are not on top of your game, we do have a lovely promise from Jesus in these times.  He invites us in so He can care for us, allows us to graze on His words of life, nourishes us, and sends us back out into the world, so we can make His world a better place.

What might this mean for you today?  When I had this annoying but truly minor cold, I laid down my own ideas for the day, and took everything to the Lord in prayer. I realized that He would care for me even though I still had work to do.  I never did find the peace and quiet to indulge in my nineteenth century, chick-lit cozy world, but my children were happy to stay at home and rest.

We were able to cuddle and read cute kid’s books. I drank chicken noodle soup, got some really good conversation in, and found true nourishment from those things.  Jesus has promised that if you stay close to His word, you will find pasture, or good food, from Him, as well as freedom to engage with your world, using the gifts you have.

Whatever your story, let God be the door of life to you.  As you plan your next move, consider what strengths you bring to our world today, and allow God to direct you in using them.  As we are reminded in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Since you are working for Him, don’t forget to accept His nourishment also.

God, You see what today holds for me. Help to walk out into it in the peace that comes from knowing that You have me in the palm of Your hand. Thank you for Your nourishment, Your wisdom, and Your grace. In Your name I pray, Amen

Question: How does God feed you in your times of need?

Take today’s next step: Increase your faith take The Life Challenge.  

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

In 1973, Chip and I had just gotten married and were living in Florida. In the fall of that year I got the call that my dad had suffered a very serious heart attack.  His condition was so critical that I was advised not to go home to Ohio because the shock of seeing me could have actually made it worse.  There was nothing to do but pray.

At the time I was working as a Speech Therapist in a clinic that was about an hour away from our apartment, so my surroundings were somewhat unfamiliar.  But on this particular day I was compelled to search for a church over my lunch hour to pray on Dad’s behalf.

I started driving through the streets of Melbourne. Eventually, I spotted a church and made my way up to the front door, not really expecting it to be unlocked.  Even back in 1973 not many churches left their doors unlocked. But to my grateful surprise, it was open!  That in itself began to stimulate my faith.

As I knelt before the altar in that little chapel, not knowing whether Dad would live or die, I found the assurance that it was God’s will for him to be saved.  So, I prayed, “Father, I believe You are speaking to me that You want to save my dad, so I’m asking in faith that You spare his life until he finds You.”  That was my only point of faith—believing God wanted my dad to be saved. I planted that seed in faith.

Well, my father recovered from the heart attack.  It would be another seventeen years before he accepted Christ, but from that day on, in my mind it was a done deal.  At 65 years old my dad accepted Jesus, and experienced one of the most dramatic conversions I have ever witnessed. Although my dad recently passed away, that seed of faith stood like a mighty oak for over twenty years.

Thank you Lord for giving us each a measure of faith. Thank you for supplying seeds of faith for us to plant. We ask that the seeds we have planted would break through the soil and begin to bud. Let there be an abundant harvest from our planting. In your name we pray, Amen

Question: How have you seen God bring a harvest from the seeds you have planted? Do you find it hard to wait for God’s timing?